DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 45th MEET-UP - THE SEEDS OF DEATH

Sunday 12th October 2015

Sowing the Seeds of Death, Seeds of Death, Sowing the Seeds....
 
Yup we're back again with the Ice Warriors!  They were a little annoying last time and so is writing these reviews and trying to describe the story I've just seen!  So I broke with tradition this time and decided to record our thoughts on audio (using my nice phone that Leigh gave me).  The following is a transcript of what happened when we gathered around Leigh's house......

AFTER FIRST EPISODE:

MJ: "I liked that."
Jason: "Yes I was very taken with the first episode - art direction was superb.  Generally nice, good story - it'll probably all go downhill from here now."
MJ: "It had rockets in didn't it Shaun?"
Shaun: "Yeah it had rockets, lots of rockets.  I like rockets - they look like winkies."
MJ: "And Mark and Leigh are also here!"

 Photo 1:

Leigh, Mark, Shaun (holding the DVD Cover)

 and Jason (holding the sign) around Leigh's house. 

****************************************************************************************************
TWO EPISODES IN:

MJ: "What do you think of that so far?"
Jason: "Same as first episode, I'm enjoying it so far."
MJ: "I'm not overly keen on the story (as I've seen it before) but, yeah, I'm enjoying it so far."
Shaun: "I tell you what, from the construction of this and the previous one, I can't see ANY difference between the Ice Warriors as a threat and the Cybermen.  Except the Cybermen look cool and the Ice Warriors look kind of silly!  They don't really get much done - but then I suppose the Cybermen don't really get much done either.  The Ice Warriors are going to have to pull some bad-ass shit out of their arse to convince me that they're a threat!"
MJ: "At least the other Ice Warrior, who isn't like the ones from the previous serial, is a bit more moveable - he's not just a great hulk with a huge bump."
Shaun: "He's still tremendously slow and un-threatening."
MJ: "I don't know if I find the hissy-panting a bit annoying.  How about you Leigh, what do you think of the new ice Warriors?"
Leigh: "Well I can't remember the old ones!" *Laughs*
MJ: "They've got big booties and they know how to shake them!  I do like the pessimistic old guy (Professor Eldred) who's like 'Oh the rocket won't work - even though I've designed it!'  I think grumpy guys are great in Doctor Who - that's why I'm always pleased when we have one in it!"
Shaun: "The Ice Warriors in this one need some kind of goal - 'cos in the last one they were just trying to get home.  They'd been stuck in ice and they wanted to commandeer the space station to get home - this time they appear to be more in a conquering mode - they want to take over the Earth!  So why's that changed?  Why not just use the Cybermen?!"  AGAIN!  I wish there was just one alien" -
Leigh: - "Called Justin!"
MJ: "What about you Mark, what do think of the story so far?"
Mark: "It's alright..."
Shaun: "There's been a distinct lack of seeds!"
Leigh: "There has been Death though!"
Shaun: "I'm hoping the seeds is for the evil seaweed and we get the foam back!"
Leigh: "Oh God..."
MJ: "WELL, you heard it here first he hopes to see foam - I wonder what's going to come up - stay tuned kids!"

 Photo 2:

Leigh, Mark (holding the sign), MJ (holding the DVD Cover)

 and Jason around Leigh's house. 

****************************************************************************************************
AFTER EPISODES THREE AND FOUR:
 

MJ: "There's been a lot of foam - so that's good!  Well episode 4 has been the foam party one - hooray!"

Mark: "I liked the grumpy old man - he's still good, he's still grumpy and old - so that's good!"
MJ: "I think it's dragging a bit - a lot of six parters do."
Mark: "Yeah they could have done a lot of that in 1 episode I think."
MJ: "How about the foam?"
Mark: "I'm enjoying the foam - I'm just waiting for the party to start."
MJ: (chanting) "There ain't no party like a Doctor Who foam party!  Jason's nodding over there.  What are you thinking, Jason?"
Jason: "Still okay - lots of vents, lots of getting lost.  I quite like the characters - there's a bit more personality - personality goes a long way!"
MJ: "That's right."
Jason: "I like the Glockenspiely, Xylophoney music!"
MJ: "Glockenspiely, Xylophoney music is damn good!  And there's lots of dum-dum-dum-dum on the Kettle drums!"
Mark: "There's some very dramatic music whilst wandering past plumbing!"
MJ: "I'm pleased they're not using the older style Ice Warriors as much - they're a bit rubbish with their mouths!"
Mark: "Yeah."
MJ: "They're using the new Ice Lord - he's a bit better?"
Mark: "He's an Ice Lord?  Are they still called Ice Warriors because they were found in ice in the last story?"
MJ: "I believe so.  It doesn't make sense."
Mark: "No they should call them Martian Warriors."
MJ: "I guess so - they are from an icy planet but I don't know - we just don't know!"
Shaun: "Maybe they're from the ice?"
Leigh: "Yeah they are that's why they referred to them as the Ice Warriors."
MJ: "Yeah but they were called that because they were found in ice back in the day but in this one there's been no ice."
Leigh: "They still call them Ice Warriors."
MJ: "Because of one event, back in the day?  That would be like calling me Chicken Eating Man because I ate chicken once?"
Shaun: "To be fair they're evil monsters, the Doctor didn't go up to them and say 'Would you mind introducing yourselves and telling me what your ACTUAL species name is?'  And they speak English and they seem to be cool with when the Doctor's called them Ice Warriors."
MJ: "That's true.  The Doctor's not racist - he hates all aliens.  Except for Earthlings - that's good!
There was a lot in that episode that could have been cut."
Leigh: "Yes like in forgetting the way to the heating controls - what did that serve except to extend the episode?"
Shaun: "I quite like the almost post traumatic stress thing that the guy was going through - nice opposite to the cowardly guy who's clearly slowly getting a backbone - even though he's apparently already murdered the Earth!"
MJ: *Impression of Cowardly guy* "I'm not going to do it!"
*Impression of Ice Warrior* "You will do it!"
*Impression of Cowardly guy* "Alright I'll do it!  Whatever you want - or don't want, I'll do it.  Now can I have my biscuits back?"
*Impression of Ice Warrior* "Nooooo we want Hob-Nobssssssssssssss!!"
Shaun: "The Ice Warriors are still a bit rubbish though - they're quite silly - they should have just been Cybermen who look cool!  Although they are equally tricky to understand!"
MJ: "They are but these are a bit more understandable - I don't find myself thinking 'What are they saying?'"
Shaun: "I'm not very good with whispering!  I also ACTUALLY hate it as well - it's grating on my nerves!"
MJ: "Hah!  Well they're going to take over the Earth now - with foam!"
Shaun: "I'll give it this for once it's got a nice group of very interesting characters - the four of five we're seeing a lot!"
MJ: "Leigh's making tea and then we're onto our next episode!"

Photo 3:

Leigh, Mark (holding the sign) and MJ (holding the DVD Cover)

around Leigh's house.

****************************************************************************************************
AFTER EPISODE FIVE:

Jason: "They keep changing the order of the credits!  Jamie's fourth this time!  There was a non-regular before him!"
MJ: "Wow - a "Non-regular?"
Jason: "An irregular!"
MJ: *reading credits* "Terrence Dicks - does he?!  Oooo so the Doctor could get covered in foam and big bubbles. The blowing bubbles remind me of a snotty kid who should blow his nose but keeps blowing snot bubbles!
So what do we think about the solution to getting rid of the foam - water or rain?"

Jason: "So is it just going to HAPPEN to rain and that's it?"
MJ: "Well they DO have a weather control unit don't they?"
Jason: "Nah it'll just rain!"
MJ: "They'll make it rain - dammit!  That's why The Doctor was going over to the weather control unit - or running on the spot!"
Mark: "It's the same stupid plot as the film "Signs".
Shaun: "Starring famous racist Mel Gibson!"

MJ: "I think this is the last foam story for Trout-Man, anyway!"
Mark: "Ahh the last foam story for Trout-Man?"
Shaun: "Good - there's only, like, three stories left anyway!"
Mark: "We'll find that the next stories are ALL foam!"
Jason: "Yup - the Space Pirates are made of foam!"
Shaun "Due to fan demand more foam will be brought into future adventures!"
Leigh: "I'm going to write to the BBC!"
Shaun: "You know what this reboot of Doctor Who is missing?  Foam!"
MJ: "I'd happily see Clara covered in foam!"
Shaun "I don't like her!"
MJ: "Well she's no Zoe!  I must say these Ice Warriors keep going around saying Sssshhh, Shhhhhh!"
Jason: "They're all Librarians!"
MJ: "All Martians are Librarians - I'm getting that put on a t-shirt!...."

****************************************************************************************************
AFTER EPISODE SIX:

MJ: "...So that was another episode - You didn't like the word T-Mat being said too many times?"
Jason: "No."
MJ: "It does sound like a sanitary product."
Leigh: "What do you dislike about T-Mat."
Jason: "Nothing, the tea was lovely - and don't call me Matt!  I keep hearing TK-Maxx - plus I keep thinking of the word TWAT - since you pointed it out.  'Oh can you TWAT us back to Earth?!' "

Leigh: "Or T-Wat!"
Jason: "A lot of these lines are too close together!"
MJ: "Of the titles, Listener!"
Jason: "Jason's referring to the end credits."
MJ: "So did you enjoy that Shaun?"
Shaun: "No I did not enjoy that at all!"
Mark: "It started well!"
Shaun: "Oh yes I liked the first episode with the grumpy old man!  And then it was the usual - well actually, no, it's been a while but I will say that was two episodes too long!"
Mark: "Yeah."
Shaun: "The Ice Warriors are rubbish, I'm sorry they look shit!  They are completely un-functional as a villain - just rubbish!"

MJ: "I have to say this story is not one of my favourites.  I liked the grumpy guy and when I re-watched the first episode again I thought 'Oh perhaps I'm wrong perhaps it IS good 'cos he's good and I like a few of the characters!'"
Shaun: "I liked a lot of the extra characters actually -  I liked the scared guy and his character arc.  I liked the guy who rigged up the device to kill the aliens and then got into the vents and everything.  I think it was a bit repetitive of previous stories - I just think The Ice Warriors are shit!"
MJ: "Mark, do you think the Ice Warriors are shit? Or do you a have a special place in your Bullock heart for them? "

Mark: "I think the Ice Warriors are shit - I wasn't a big fan of that story"
Jason: "Whilst we were outside me and Mark both thought there had been more than one previous Ice Warrior story!  But we checked the book and found out there had only been one!"
Mark: "It feels like more!"
MJ: "And that hissing voice is tiring"
Jason: "I actually like the voice - one of the more successful Alien voices they've had!  It's sinister but you can understand it!"
MJ: "But it's a bit "*PANTING* I'm going to take over the Earth *PANTING* But let me get my breath back - I've been running outside and It's hot!"
Shaun: "They're just constantly incredibly aroused!"
 

Photo 4: 

Leigh, Mark, Shaun (holding the DVD Cover)

 and Jason (holding the sign) around Leigh's house. 

MJ: "So marks out of 10?"

Shaun: "I'm figuring between a 4 and a 5 - and it's going to be a 4."
Mark: "5."

Leigh: "5 - it was fine."
Jason: "5 - there's been worse than that!  Michael you've been building this up as bad for a long time and it was nowhere near as bad as I expected!"
MJ: "I'll give it Foive (there's a reference for all you people from the 60's!)"
 

So that gave us an average of 4.8 out of 10.  Overall, although we weren't keen on the story, we quite liked the sets and a lot of the imaginative filming techniques.  There were some good costumes (nice to see that they still use briefcases in the future!  Shiney jump suits and briefcases!).  Anyhow that's all for now - as an extra note Jason thought it looked liked the outdoor scenes had been filmed on Hampstead Heath - so we checked "The Book" and he was gosh darned right!
Well this has been a fun way of reviewing the story.  If you, faithful reader, wonder what the plot was all about - then go and watch the darned thing yourself!!
Anyhow I must scoot but before I do I'll leave this ponder:
will the Ice Warriors return?
 
We shall ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssseeeee.........!

Until then, I shall return, yes I shall return

MJ - 13-10-15

DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 44th MEET-UP - THE KROTONS

Sunday 27th September 2015

Hello cheeky!  After last times mammoth-watch I thought it would be a relief to the gang that we only had a four-part tale to watch this time!  So we had all the bitches come over to my house to watch the tale of the South African robots: "The Krotons"!

This story is the first to be penned by future script editor Robert Holmes, whose contributions to the series will be REALLY important later on...but back to this tale!

Photo 1:

MJ, Shaun (holding the sign), Mark (holding the DVD Cover),
and Leigh around MJ's house!  With MJ's dog Yana!

The Krotons starts with the TARDIS landing on planet (name unknown) and our team come across a race called the Gonds.  These simple humanoids seem beholden to the mysterious Krotons, unseen beings who take the brightest intelligences as “companions”.  The Gonds all seem to go along with this except for Thara, son of the Gond leader Selris, he objects stating that those who have become companions before have never been seen nor heard from again!  In fact when The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive they actually witness the death of one of the chosen companions, Abu.  Abu is vaporised by smoke sprayed from nozzles on either side of the doorway from which he emerges - however they do manage to save a girl, Vana, who was also selected for this fate.

Photo 2:

Jason, Shaun (holding the sign), Mark (holding the DVD Cover),
and Leigh around MJ's house!  With MJ's dog Yana!

Anyhow stuff happens and we finally meet The Krotons - big, crystalline beings that are bulky and speak with a quite strong South African accent!  They can't move very fast but do seem to have a big gun which they can shoot with.  They also have a funny thing when they get excited their heads spin round and round really fast!

The Krotons also seem to destroy the TARDIS - though we later find it has just made itself disappear to safety (a self-defense thing).

Photo 3:

MJ, Shaun (holding the sign)
 and part of Mark around MJ's house!

Photo 4:

Mark (holding the DVD cover), Leigh
(eyeing up part of MJ's dog, Yana, around MJ's house!

More stuff happens - some of the Gonds begin to rally for all-out war with the Krotons, have now seized the initiative in Gond society.  This is led by Security chief Eelek (played by the wnderful actor Philip Madoc - who will appear in more Who in the (not to far distant) future...!)  The more level headed leader, Selriss is deposed, but warns them all that an all-out attack will not benefit his people!  He does manage to convince some of his people to be sneaky and attack the Krotons' machine from underneath by destabilising its very foundation in the underhall.

Photo 5:

Jason, Shaun (holding the sign), Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Leigh
 and part of MJ's dog, Yana, around MJ's house!

Photo 6:

Part of MJ, part of Shaun (holding the sign), Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Leigh
 and MJ's dog, Yana, around MJ's house!

Zoe and the Doctor are forced into the the Krotons ship (the Dynatrope) and Selris dies providing them with a phial of acid which the Doctor adds to the Kroton vats!  We get to see Krotons melting away which is quite fun!  Outside, Jamie and a scientist, Beta, launch an attack on the structure of the ship using sulphuric acid.   This double-attack destroys the tellurium-based Krotons and their craft.  The Dynatrope dissolves away and the Gonds are free at last - choosing Thara rather than the cowardly and ambitious Eelek to lead them.

Photo 7:

Jason, Shaun (holding the sign), Mark (holding the DVD Cover)
 and part of MJ's dog, Yana, around MJ's house!

So anyway overall the tale gets quite a poor reception from fellow fans, but I really enjoyed it!  There were some good characters, the Krotons were fine aliens (for a one-off).  They wouldn't work as a re-curring villain as they are too unwieldy to get around!

The story also seemed to go down well(ish) with the group.

Jason - 6/10

Leigh - 6/10

Mark - 6/10

MJ - 6/10

Shaun - 6/10

So it gave us an average of 6 out of 10 - which is obvious!

BLAH

Until then, I shall return, yes I shall return

MJ - 12-10-15

DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 43rd MEET-UP - THE INVASION

Sunday 13th September 2015

This time we had a moment of madness!  We were coming to a story that had 8 parts - The Invasion!  Now we'd not watched this many in a row - 7 had been the most and that had been a bit of a slog.  I offered the group the option of watching 6 parts and then watching the 2 parts next time - along with 4 parts of the next story.

However Shaun, who was to host, suggested to me that we meet at 12 o' clock and then bash out all 8 in one go!  I was up for that, especially as Gavin would be along to join us and this meant he would see all the parts!

So, much to Leigh's hatred, we all decided to meet early to watch this lovely 8 part story IN ONE MASSIVE GO!

Photo 1:

MJ (holding his copy of the DVD Cover),
Leigh (holding Jason's copy of the DVD Cover), Shaun,
Gavin (holding the sign) and Mark around Shaun's house!

So The Invasion is a story I love (even Jason has a copy of the DVD - which he brought over (in case we needed it!)).  6 parts of this story exist and 2 have been animated by the late, great animation company Cosgrove Hall.  When I was a child I'd loved Cosgrove Hall's cartoons "Dangermouse" and "Duckula" and expected high things of this story when I first saw it.  So, as we put in the disc to watch the first (animated) episode I certainly wasn't disappointed.  The characterisation was excellent, the movement and look of the whole thing flowed really well.

The story itself continues on from the last one where the reformed TARDIS has left the Land of Fiction.  It appears in space - just by the Moon - where a missile is suddenly launched at it!  They manage to avoid this by making an emergency landing but then they aren't sure where they've landed!  A face of a friendly cow on the monitor tells them they are in a field on Earth!  That's all good but in making an emergency landing they've damaged the visual stabiliser - which makes the TARDIS invisible!  They all decide to try to find Professor Edward Travers (of The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear) to seek his assistance.  So they hitch a lift to London with a lorry and the driver tells them that they are on private property of International Electromatics, the world's largest electronics manufacturer.  The lorry doesn't go unnoticed and soon they are followed and stopped by two shifty fellows on motorcycles (wearing sunglasses).  The driver shows his pass, whilst our crew hide and, when the motorcyclists have gone, the driver takes them outside the compound.

Sadly we'll never see the real actor playing the animated driver, as soon outside the compound he gets stopped by the motorcyclists again, who shoot him DEAD!!

Photo 2:

Jason (holding his copy of the DVD Cover),Leigh, Shaun, Gavin (holding the sign)

and Mark (holding MJ's copy of the DVD Cover)

 around Shaun's house!

Sinister stuff - not so sinister is when we arrive at the flat which is supposed to belong to Professor Travers.  He's not there (he gone away travelling) but a young lady (who's trying to take photographs of herself and is quite annoyed by the interruption) answers the door.  This is Isobel Watkins who tells us the flat now belongs to her Uncle, Professor Watkins. She explains that the her Uncle disappeared, after he worked on an invention for International Electromatics. The Doctor asks if there is a phone number they can ring for International Electromatics and he is pointed to the wall in the Hall - this is where Isobel writes all her notes down as "You can't lose a wall"!

So, whilst Zoe stays and poses for photos, the Doctor and Jamie go to International Electromatics's head office in London to investigate.  When they get there a computerised receptionist won't let them past, which infuriates the Doctor "Stupid Machine!!", and they seek out another way in.  However they fall unconscious after being gassed, and are taken by security chief Packer to see International Electromatics's Managing Director, Tobias Vaughn.  Vaughn apologises for the rough treatment they have endured - but they DID try and break in!

Photo 3:

MJ (holding his copy of the DVD Cover),
Leigh (holding Jason's copy of the DVD Cover), Shaun,
Gavin (holding the sign) and Mark around Shaun's house!

Vaughn explains that Professor Watkins was engrossed in a delicate stage of his work, and agreed to remain on site.  The Doctor seems happy with this and leaves the circuits behind as Vaughn has offered to fix or replace them for him.  After they leave, Vaughn opens a hidden panel in the wall of his office, revealing an alien machine!  OoooOOooooOOoo!I think Vaughn is great!  He's played by the great Kevin Stoney who played Mavic Chen in The Daleks Master Plan.  In this story he's calm, smooth, charming and pretty much a James Bond villain!  In fact the whole story could be a James Bond spy thriller - even some of the music sounds spy-like!

Also in this story we get re-introduced to Colonel Lethbridge Stewart (from the Yetis on the London Underground in the story The Web of Fear) - he's now a Brigadier and works for U.N.I.T. aka United Nations Intelligence Taskforce!  They've been investigating

International Electromatics for a while, watching lots of people going in....but not many of them come out again!

Photo 4:

Jason (holding his copy of the DVD Cover), Leigh, Shaun,
Gavin (holding the sign)

and Mark (holding MJ's copy of the DVD Cover)

around Shaun's house!
All of them trying to do Tobias Vaughn faces!

Anyhow we have a bit more to-ing and fro-ing until the end of Episode 4 where we finally see who Vaughn is in league with....The Cybermen!  In fact the very end of this episode is the only time those poor animators get to have a go at drawing the Cybermen!  Oh well.  So this time the Cybermen want to take over the Earth and have promised that Vaughn can be in charge of a vast part of it!  Will that actor never learn?!  When he was Mavic Chen he went in league with the Daleks and was promised he could rule once they'd won - and then they betrayed and killed him!  Now he's Tobias Vaughn he's doing the same thing with the Cybermen - will it end the same?...  (Spoilers - Yes it will!)

Photo 5:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun, Jason (holding the sign)

and MJ around Mark's house!

As I said I am a big fan of this tale and there are so many parts I like.  I like the introduction of UNIT (even with that funny little tune that seems to accompany their movements) and the re-introduction of the Brig.  I think the Cybermen look well designed AND I can make out what they are saying pretty much ALL of the time - which is a first!  I really loved when Vaughn used his new weapon on a semi-aroused (easy!) Cyberman to give it the emotion of fear!  It ran through the sewers SCREAMING in terror and attacking anything it came across (Cybermen or humans)!  I felt both sorry and creeped out by it!  Poor Cyberman!  It was all down to nasty Vaughn!  Ahh Vaughn!  Now I'm a big fan of him and his sidekick PACKER!  As I said classic boss villain in the Bond vein.  During the first few episodes he just oozed charm and if stuff went wrong he would just dismiss it casually - often with a smile or laugh!  It was only later, as the story moved on, we saw an angry Vaughn - and sometimes PETULANT!  When he found out the Cybermen were going to betray him he sulks like a spoilt child, angrily saying to the Doctor " I'll help you to destroy them because I hate them!"  Then rather sadly (and with lip sticking out) follows up with "They destroyed my dream."

Awwww, poor Vaughn!

The animation was superb - the first and best of the whole lot of animations.  I thought the locations were good - we got to see helicopters, aeroplanes, trains and lots of different locations.  The whole story seemed BIG!

So that's our last LONG story for a while - I'm glad we got through it in one go and this time we all scored:

Jason - 8.5/10

Leigh - 7/10

Mark - 7/10

MJ - 9/10

Shaun - 7/10
Gavin - 8.5/10

So it gave us an average of 7.83 out of 10!

So, a popular story!  Okay next time we're back for a shorter tale with a four parter tale with South-African robots....!

Until then, I shall return, yes I shall return

MJ - 17-09-15

DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 42nd MEET-UP - THE MIND ROBBER

Sunday 30th August 2015

Hello folks!  'Tis I, Le-MJ!  I have a tale to tell you of six chaps who met up for a viewing of 1960's Dr Who!  Trouble is we finished the last meet-up too early and so had to fill up the first half and hour with no extra scenery or extra Whoresmen....

Well, except for Gavin!

What the bloomin' heck are you talking about, MJ!?  I'll tell you!  We all met around Jason's to watch the five part tale - The Mind Robber!  Originally this tale was to be a four parter, but I believe they had knocked one episode off the previous tale (The Dominators) to make it punchier!  This meant they had a spare episode and so they made The Mind Robber a five parter (instead of a four parter).  All fine except that they had no budget for new sets or any extra cast.


So you'd think we'd see lots of padding from Padders (Wendy) & co - but no!  Oh no!  No, no, no no - there are no ACTUAL limits!  The first episode was one of the weirdest and strange episodes I'd seen for a while - slightly akin to the First Doctor story "The Edge of Destruction".  The tale continued from the last story by the TARDIS being buried in lava - this blows a fluid link in the process and forces the Doctor to use the emergency unit to take the TARDIS away from danger and indeed out of reality itself....
Between odd things happening in the TARDIS (and on a white, misty sound-stage) this could have been a weird, Dadaist art film from back in the day!  For me it was excellent!  It had been ages since I had seen it so I had no idea what was going on!  I love how strange it all was and thought the main cast dealt with it really well!

Photo 1:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun (holding the sign)

Jason and Leigh around Mark's house!

I would say the rest of the episodes followed on normally and, although not as whacky as that first episode, we actually find ourselves out of our reality and in the Land of Fiction!

So the Doctor and co have to face a series of puzzles put on by the mysterious Master (a later more famous Villain was also called "The Master" so this one is always referred to as the "Master of the Land of Fiction"), whilst being chased by white robots!

Along the way we meet many story-book characters, like Rapunzel (who's quite happy to let people use her hair for climbing - she's used to it now!) and, even more gloriously, Gulliver!

The chap who played Gulliver was wonderful and had a great and unusual way of speaking - we warmed to him so much that we wanted him to be the next companion!

Photo 2:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun (holding the sign)

Jason and Leigh around Mark's house!

Frazer Hinzes, who plays Jamie, actually contracted chickenpox and, as this was a fantasy land, they had the clever idea of turning Jamie into a flat photo - with no face!
Next to this cut-out was a board with many different face-pieces on it and the Doctor had to re-arrange the pieces to make Jamie's face again.  Unfortunately he gets it wrong and accidentally gives Jamie a new face (this meant that actor Hamish Wilson could cover whilst Frazer recovered)!  This happens only for episode 2 but it is a great way of getting around a problem!

Photo 3:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun, Jason (holding the sign)

and MJ around Mark's house!

Zoe is great in this story - she's looks a treat in her glittery jump-suit and there's a great scene of her clinging onto the TARDIS console (as the TARDIS has exploded) spinning slowly around whilst her lovely glittery bottom comes into view!

She also gets to have a fight with a comic-book hero called Karkus - throwing this giant fellow over her shoulder etc!  Great stuff!

Photo 3:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun, Jason (holding the sign)

and MJ around Mark's house!

With inventive sets and characters this was a great story.  I also enjoyed the reveal that the whole land was being controlled by "The Master" - who in turn was only a novelist from Earth who had been trapped in this weird land and was being forced to control it all.  Once he was freed and went back to his time I assume that the Land of Fiction disappeared.

The only thing about The Master that kept distracting me was a tiny bit of spittle that the actor had at the corner of his mouth on his beard!  That bugged me more than it should have!!  They should spend thousands in CGI to remove it!!  ;)

Photo 3:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun, Jason (holding the sign)

and MJ around Mark's house!

Anyhow we all found it thoroughly entertaining - well apart from Leigh who wasn't keen at all!

The scores on the doors were:

Jason - 8.5/10

Leigh - 6/10

Mark - 9/10

MJ - 9/10

Shaun - 10/10
Gavin - 9/10

So it gave us an average of 8.6 out of 10!  Shaun really enjoyed it!

So next time we will have to see if the TARDIS rejoins again in one of my favourite stories - The Invasion!

Until then, I shall return, yes I shall return

MJ - 04-09-15

DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 41st MEET-UP - THE DOMINATORS

Sunday 23rd August 2015

It's the third season of the Trout-Man!  WHO-zah!

Gathering around Mark's we get a chance to watch a fully complete story again (a trend that will get more regular from now on!).  This week "The Dominators" and a chance to get to know the new companion - Zoe!

So we start on the planet Dulkis and see a flying saucer landing - later we learn that they are landing on the so caled "Island of Death" (Da-Da-Da-Daaaaaa!!!).  Apparently this was was a nuclear test site housing an anti-war museum and has been uninhabitable for years and years.  The Dominators soon stop that by absorbing all the radiation on the island - this they use for fuel.  They send out their robots, The Quarks, to prepare boreholes into the planet’s crust in order to convert the planet into rocket fuel!  Meanwhile some students (or sightseers or the like) have come across to the island (with protective suits on) for a bit of adventure!  However they don't last long as one of the two Dominators, Toba, orders his Quarks to kill them - which they do (well except for one called Cully who escapes)!

Meanwhile in the Legion of Doo - sorry - in another part of the island our TARDIS arrives and the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe begin to look around.  Suddenly they hear the explosion of the craft being destroyed and take shelter in the museum building.  Here they meet three other newly arrived Dulcians (the natives of the planet), Educator Balan and his young charges Teel and Kando.  All can't believe that the radiation reading on the Island reads as nought, since it should be radioactive after the nuclear explosion 172 years earlier.  Cully arrives too, and tells them about the murderous Dominators and their robots.  However Balan does not accept this - they think there are no such thing as aliens - besides he knows the son of the Director of the ruling council is well known as a con artist!

Photo 1:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun (holding the sign)

Jason and Leigh around Mark's house!

So the story carries on with the Dominators taking the students as slaves to do some heavy lifting work for them.  Our TARDIS crew though manage to coral the Dulcians into fighting back and we get plenty of deaths and the like.

The plan of the Dominators sees them planting a huge bomb inside the planet - which will hopefully tear the world apart, then they can get their fuel from the radiation that this causes!  Of course this all gets turned around when the Doctor manages to plant said bomb on the Dominators ship - which explodes in space.  Getting rid of those pesky Dominators.

Photo 2:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun (holding the sign)

Jason and Leigh around Mark's house!

Okay I've not gone too much into plot etc but I thought it would be more fun to get into the nitty-gritty of what I like and don't like!

I did enjoy the setting - it looked suitably alien/quarry-like.  The Dominators Space-ship looked good and it was an impressive set inside.

The Dominators costume itself was quite an oddity - it gave them massive hunch-backs.  However I didn't mind it - I thought the Dominators looked quite sinister in them.  It also helped that they had plenty of charcter in their faces - heavy lines and bag under the eyes, big eyebrows and a grouchy look to them.  As "Baddies" they were quite fun, bickering back and forth with each other.  It's clear that one was in charge of the other but neither of them had ANY respect for each other.  They kept sniping and arguing - when they DID agree on something it seemed quite grudgingly!  All in all I felt they worked.

Maybe what DIDN'T work so well was their robot servants - The Quarks!  Funny box like robots with stiff rectangular arms that could only move sideways and a round head that had spikes coming out.  I guess these were seen to possibly be the NEXT Daleks or Cybermen.  They weren't!  I found them a bit too clumsy to work well - and their voices were quite irritating, a bit baby-talk but with none of the charm.

Photo 3:

Mark (holding the DVD Cover), Shaun, Jason (holding the sign)

and MJ around Mark's house!

The good-guys don't fair any better.  Oh the acting was fine ad we had some good characters, but they wore these strange pleated dress-like things which had the waistband up where their nipples would be.  Most odd indeed.

Still they were aliens!  Anyhow we all enjoyed the story, and I think we warmed to Zoe a bit more.  She's not done anything particularly annoying or stupid yet!

Anyhow we always give rough scores out of ten - but I've never actually written them down before!  This time I thought it would be fun to start.

So here's what we scored it!

Jason - 7.5/10

Leigh - 6/10

Mark - 7/10

MJ - 7/10

Shaun  - 7/10

So it gave us an average of 6.9 out of 10!  Not bad indeed for a story that's quite maligned by many people!

Well I'd best stop dominating this part of the internet!  Next time we're Robbing Minds....Ooo! Until then, I shall return, yes I shall return

MJ - 25-08-15